Showing posts with label London. Show all posts

Last Day •

We were taking a walk about the Old Spitalfield's Market when we realised Hummingbird Bakery was just a stone's throw away. Everyone has RAVED about Hummingbird's treats and it's frequently listed as a must-try. Unfortunately, I wasn't feeling very well at that point in time, so I was craving a bowl of clear porridge more than I was a cupcake... (shock horror right).

One thing I've noticed about ang mohs and their cupcakes is that they LOVE to load on the frosting- it's like a 1:1 icing to cake ratio. I'm not too fond and I prefer a 1:3 ratio (am I really using math to talk about food?)

So we all just shared one lone slice of their famed red velvet cake. AND IT WAS SO SO good. Very moisty, soft crumb and not cloyingly sweet at all.

There's another bakery in London that's known for their cupcakes- Lola's Cupcakes. They were handing out free samples so I had a quarter, repping Singaporeans with my if-its-free-im-taking-it motto.

We stopped by a record store in Soho to pick up some CDs (they're so affordable over there!) and MY PHONE GOT STOLEN HERE :'( :'( :'( I'm pretty damn sure it was this young hispanic woman who stood REALLY close to me at one point. I didn't think twice about it because I thought I might have been blocking her way. Wasn't until 10 minutes after she left that I realised my phone was missing- and when we tried to call it, it had already been turned off... Bye bye phone forever. :'( Even though I've never been that attached to my phone, I was really upset about it because losing things suck. And it was the last day of the trip! Almost made it without any casualties. Ah well, lesson learned- never let your guard down- you're practically daring the universe to prove you wrong.

Dinner was at an Italian restaurant near our apartment. Overall, I really REALLY enjoyed myself on this holiday. Finally got all 5 members of the family together after missing my oldest brother for 4 months! I will always cherish quality time, talking about stupid things like we do when we're together and laughing like maniacs in the middle of an empty street. Words cannot aptly/sufficiently describe how incredibly blessed I feel to have been born into this family. Even though we fight sometimes, I know things will be always turn out okay and I know they'll always be there for me. End of excessive mushiness, good bye. :-)

food, London, travel

• London // Brick Lane Part Deux •

We came back to Brick Lane the next morning because the previous evening's forays were insufficient. It turns out we had barely covered 40% of the shops! The first thing that we noticed was how CROWDED it was now that it was a weekend morning. There was a ridiculous queue outside this supposedly famous bagel shop. Sadly, my tummy could not bear to wait in line and we settled at a quiet cafe nearby for brunch.

Smashed avocado, cream cheese and cherry tomatoes on wholegrain toast, with a side of apple-pear-ginger juice.

We also came across a chocolate shop that sourced its cocoa from Africa I think and...... oh my lawd... totally drool-worthy CHOCOLATE.......

Making a special appearance in this post is the best-damned-churros I have EVER had in my entire 19 years of existence. There weren't any lines at the churro cart (is churros a singular or plural word?) and so I decided to give it a try. The man was kind enough to give me two flavours- vanilla and caramel!

I think it's a well-known equation that cold weather + hot food = extra deliciousness. So imagine eating this piping hot, crisp-edged, cooked-to-perfection churro stuffed with luscious oozing caramel and vanilla cream in the middle of a cold, blustery day. I said, pretty loudly, "this is the best damned churro stick I've ever had" and promptly this long line formed at the stall. I'd like to think it was my doing (probably wasn't).

There are also plenty of middle eastern, chinese, indian, thai, vietnamese cuisine stalls set up there on the weekends so there's plenty of food to try. And that sums up my great experience at Brick Lane!

food, London, travel

• London // Columbia Road Flower Market •

I think Columbia Flower Market was my ultimate favourite of the whole trip- and we went to A LOT of places, so that says something. I don't know what it is about it, but it has an almost magical quality about it. The air feels fresher and crisper, the sky takes on a more intense shade of blue, and you feel like you're in a movie because such a perfect pleasantness seems impossible in real life? Also, I love flowers so that could be what did it for me. :p

You'll find all sorts of things here. Apart from flowers (hence, the market's name), there were plenty of pottery, gardening, knick-knack, antique and art shops around, all with their own unique charm. And believe me, I would've gone mad in the pottery shops & bought every single tea cup, tea pot and plate in the store if it weren't for the fact that my luggage bag was one gram away from exploding. What's worse than the pain of seeing something you really want and having to walk away from it (now repeat scenario one thousand times). :P

Jokes aside, this really was such a charming little market. There was a tiny cafe that was filled to the brim. The moment I walked in, a little girl of about 7 years old asked with a toothy, heart-melting grin if she could help me with anything (apparently she was the daughter of the cafe owner- HOW ADORABLE.)

London, travel

• London // Brick Lane •

Brick Lane was one of the places on our agenda-- a place I would never have cared for if I were my 12 year old self. But then again, my 12 year old-self was l-a-m-e (maybe my current-self still is, but I hope marginally less so). Record shops, vintage stores and independent cafes line the street and they're abound with young adults who're so heartbreaking cool. Almost (probably) too cool to be friends with you, with their rock sensibilities, waif-like frames, winged liner and dark lips right?? Nevertheless, it was cool getting to experience a more youthful scene, and also to be immersed among locals!